Former Mongolian Prime Minister S.Bayar, who had earlier been imprisoned in the 461st detention center in Ulaanbaatar, was transferred to a hospital on Wednesday (23 May). According to a source, the 62-year-old has been transferred to the Second General Hospital of Mongolia as his illness progressed; S.Bayar has been suffering from chronic gout for years.

According to his lawyer, S.Bayar became unable to walk as his condition worsened during the 42 days in the detention centre. Furthermore, he suffered from a breathing disorder caused by the dusty and airless environment in which he was being held. Prior to being transferred to the Second General Hospital, he has been in the prison hospital for last 20 days.

S.Bayar along with another former prime-minister, Ch.Saikhanbileg, have been accused of an abuse of power while making the 2009 Oyu  Tolgoi Investment Agreement and the 2015 Oyu Tolgoi Underground Mine Development and Financing Plan respectively.

A lawyer by training, S.Bayar served as prime minister from November 2007 to October 2009, during the presidency of N.Enkhbayar. Following the 1 July 2008  State of Emergency, when several demonstrators were killed, he was blamed by many for some of the wrong decisions which were taken on that fateful day in Ulaanbaatar. More recently, S-Bayar has served as Mongolia’s 25th ambassador to the United Kingdom.